Thursday, 16 January 2014

Grasshopper Jungle

There are two clues that indicate Grasshopper Jungle is not your average coming of age novel. One is
the fluorescent green cover adorned with a pair of large antennae. The other is
on the first page where the words 'insects as big as refrigerators' appear.
This story is about relationships, identity and sexuality but it is also about
two teenage boys who inadvertently bring about the end of the world.

Austin Szerba is a sixteen year old boy from Ealing, Iowa
who is in love with his both of his best friends — Robby Brees (a boy) and
Shanna Collins (a girl). He is confused. Following a bizarre series of events,
Austin and Robby accidentally let loose a scientific experiment from 1969
called Plague Strain 412E. Like Robby
says, 'Nothing good is ever called Plague'. And he's right. The experiment
hatches into enormous praying mantises who eat people, starting with their
heads. Then Austin, Robby and Shanna find an underground bunker called Eden
created by the same scientist responsible for the bugs. The end of the world
seems almost certain but can they do something before it's too late?

Written from Austin's point of view, the narrative spirals
around jumping from thoughts about sex (lots of these!) and smoking, to stories
about Austin's Polish ancestors, to his brother fighting in Afghanistan.
Amongst all of this, the story unfolds of the 'Unstoppable Soldiers' (as the
huge insects are called), moving towards its inevitable conclusion. There are
short chapters with lots of headings to
allow for all the subject changes. There's also lots of action towards the end
(chasing giant bugs and spraying them with blood!) which boys particularly will
enjoy.

Austin's voice is authentic and very funny. There is a lot
of swearing, violence and sexual references so this book may be a bit
controversial. Readers, who would need to be at least fourteen, will find Grasshopper Jungle a clever, original story,
not easily forgotten.